Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-19
TIE LOST MADONNA.

Years ago wnCn poor tTuitlea WAS stll
alive, began to eNpatiatc on Il landscap
obtained a dav or TWO before from
painter in whom certain artists had In
rercsted me. and whom | came To know
well. The enjoyment of ownership, wa
saving, was greatly enhanced by the sac
rifices which had been necessary 10 get III,
prize. This pleasure had 10 be cut of
that necessity dispensed with and 50 man!
hours Of precious time devoted to gettin.
money by repulsive work. The price ha,
been paid sum by sum, until now | Wa
full cwner OF one Of the most beautiful
creations Of the day. In describing how
wonderfully the artist had felt the modu
lation Of the earth in the hare Newpor
pasture. how poctical WAS the colorinl
and the lonely look of the wide fields, how
sncieut and spectral the apple orchard or
the right. with its moSsy trunks and thicl
limbs writhen by salt winds. splinteret
by coats Of ice in the long winters, | has
forgotten 10 name the workman. Ever
when | came Ia speak Of the sea distanc,
melting with the most glorious culorS int,
ii mysterious horizon, hall mist. half sk,
line, and the sky itself of that indeierlnin
able blue which i green, or of green that
is blue, just as you happen to see it first
thSAi AtANAl lAslaA Rl'A hiAtitNl ili- lidHit
"lou are not likely 10 know il, al
swered | when my hostess inquired: mot
a very distinctive one at best Henry
Brown
Mrs. Van Gnrden dropped her spoon in
the soup as if she had burned her tongue
bent her head down and raised her napkin
TO her mouth
What sort Of fellow j. Ees" asked
l.npl,p N that baartNv hasS NJ ri
ing his silky beard aside with gesture
thar stamped him to his friends IN any
crowd, however big.
''As queer ~ they make them. ' said l.
''Fancy q tall, lean man. with long feat
ures, a long hand. cynical look that
destroys what must have been once great
physical beauty, absolute carelcssness OF
dress without any 81 i,venliness. the most
haunting eyes that you have ever seen
About the fine arts, by which he lives. or
rather staryes, he has ideas-or. perhaps
il il truer To say. utters sentimentS-Inost
repulsiye Ia those who love artistic crea-
tions. Ii j. all humbug. according to him
and he profe>ses 10 be in a state of per
petual wonderment how people can be
found so foolish TO exchange gold dol
lars for daubs of paint. At the same time
lac acknowledges that i is his interest Ia
continue the deception. for otherwise the
starvation which he now calls relative
would become absolute. Not that he con-
siders his life worth anything; but his an
cestors having beQueathed 10 him an in
stinct of self preservation. sway and over
ride his common sense 50 far as To compel
him 20 struggle just enough 10 exist -
l had turned naturally TO Mrs. Van
tIorden rather than my friend during
these remarks, for that lady has quiet
way Of exacting from the comrades of her
husband not Difference merely. ls: strict
attention. | never met a woman who did
this more simply and effectually without
seeming 10 intend it. Husband and guests
must make her the center: woe betide
anybody who shall forget what she con
Siders her dgc. Now. there are feelings
that betray themselves by a certain rigid
Ky eli face. a forced iiNity Of interest: the
latter struck Inc in Mrs. Van Gorden
while spoke of Henry Brown.
DO yOu know him''' asked suddenly
She put her hand to her throat ~ if a
little Choked. laughed. gave a guizziCal
look and said:
Him | know six Henry Browns
You CoulG not mistake this one lie
is a man of the most tortuouS mind with
whom argument consists of a series of
escapes into fresh holes in the ground.
whence me Will peep with strange sat
urnine glee Of his own aud shift as soon
rs hard pressed. He was admirably edu-
Gated in some Jesuit college or other 50
far as concerns the classics and what the
old pedaSugues used 10 call dialectics: but
all science is a dead wall To his mind
He has maIIIa, however. for iuVeighing
against science, and as he would rather
die than read scientific book his re
marks are extremely picturesque can
tell YOU"
I'D like you 10 show us the picture. -
quoth Gorden. What do you SAY.
Edith
Wees. Some day or other. when it's
quite convenient But you know how
full the engagement book is Just now -
1--we told You one side Of him. | con
tinued; here's another. He i a Catholic,
you know, but. ! should fancy. not pro
Tossing or strict Catholic. And you would
not be his friend long before You would be
surprised at finding yourself the subject
ui liIsidIous attacks aS "A Protestant That
stage would I've followed by an aggressive
campaign intended To make yOu Join the
Roman church, The comic part il that
lie can't bear priests himself. and. ! really
believe, never goes near church "
Gnrden glanced a iriiie Uneasily al his
wife a. ! said this. ami ! remembered
having heard something about Mrs Van
Gordenso che effect that she once joinaS
the Catholics. or had al any rate coquerted
with Rome. She changed the subject
rather abruptly, "a if she had heard quite
enough of palnter and picture
The truth WAS that little was know, of
Mrs Van GurdenS early 'liL9. She Wa,
supposed Ia come from Buffalo or other
town which the true limited New York
person regards hazily ~ in the west The
SJOuiest scandal searchrr was rebrffel bv I.
her easy, smiling parIies Ia the more or
less brutal questions That We're put regard
ing her family and antecedrnt> | only
once heard AN aliusion made 10y her to her
life before marriage. and that was in the
nature Of an unguartied out break when |
rallied her un au intense look of devotion
she directed toward GoTden Ii wa> like
the breaking Of a cool bed Of lava:
That man, You little know NV con
ditiun. what was. what meant to do.
when that man saved me. made me.
rreated ME again. | worship him. II he
died should not live.
was scared. but strengthened. at such
a fash a. that: hut she. scared and hu-
inflated. Puor Gortieu l. dead and his
widow lives; but you need not suppose
hat she was pu>nS "r meant nothing.
No, she has learned that il is nobler TO
live ON for others than IL allow herself TO
waste away because her mate is gone
The next day | heard Henry Browns
tap al my door AMI he came in with the
tealthy tread hahitual I" him and that
manner Of hciuG surprised To- lind me at
l6me which j. one of his oldncS~c~. He
illed IA pipe and took his seat as usual be-
OF, the fire where his eyes could rest OH
as own landscape Every now and then
Ie would get up, walk about uncertainty,
hen turn 10 the picture and look closely